The new... frontier
Raf Simons’ lauded textiles for Kvadrat have been transformed into a whole new concept for the Danish brand – homeware and accessories
Fashion collaborations are usually fleeting, but Raf Simons and Kvadrat have a committed relationship that goes back eight years. The esteemed fashion designer and Prada co-creative director has masterminded seven collections with the Danish fabric experts. The long-lasting success of the partnership is down to a mutual love of craft, quality and testing the limits. Simons’ vision pushes Kvadrat technically, and upholstery’s rigorous demands have inspired him to innovate and expand his aesthetic possibilities. The designer has described the process of translating the colours and texture of tweed or bouclé into dense weaves suitable for furniture as ‘painterly’, with practicalities sparking his creativity.
The latest collaboration, the Kvadrat/Raf Simons ‘Shaker System’, is yet another creative leap – a surprising one, which sees them both exploring new territory. It is not a fabric collection but, instead, a minimalist set of everyday essentials and homeware motivated by today’s nomadic lifestyles. Curated edits of home and personal accessories hang from an upholstered aluminium bar, one designed for each room. For entrances, there’s a grouping of cap, keyholder and tote bag. For the living room, it’s a lambswool throw, leather magazine strap and mirror tray.
The system owes its utilitarian nature to the space-saving ‘Shaker’ peg rail, but the curated sets of products look more like futuristic survival kits, reducing furnishing down to core functions. ‘I hope it’s inspiring for people who like to buy small objects with the same mindset as buying a chair,’ says Simons. There are 25 accessories in total, which have a strict colour consistency in off-white, pink, green or black. The palette comes from Kvadrat’s satin-surfaced ‘Vidar 4’, a fabric that Simons has recoloured and expanded specially for this boundary-pushing product. From £152, available at Matchesfashion (matchesfashion.com). kvadrat.dk